Depression in adolescence is a concerning issue in modern life. As teenagers go through various physical and psychological changes during this period, it is crucial to pay adequate attention to their mental health in order to prevent potential risks.
What is depression in adolescence?
Depression in adolescence is a common emotional disorder that often occurs in children between the ages of 10-17. The causes are often related to the challenges that come with this stage of life, such as hormonal changes, pressure from peers, and academic expectations.
Depression can affect the way adolescents think, feel, and behave, causing issues with emotions, attitudes, and actions. This is a serious health concern that can impact all aspects of a child’s life.
According to estimates from the American Academy of Pediatrics, about 2% of children under the age of 10 experience depression. However, the rate of depression increases to 5-8% for children between the ages of 10-14 (the average age for puberty onset) and is twice as likely to occur in girls during adolescence.
Early signs of depression in adolescence
Changes in mood or negative behavior can sometimes occur during puberty. However, this is not always due to depression.
According to experts, the impact of depression in adolescence goes beyond just feeling sad. It can destroy a child’s personality and cause feelings of sadness, hopelessness, or anger.
Children can fall into a state of sadness, lose interest in everything when suffering from depression
Some rebellious and unhealthy behaviors and attitudes during adolescence can be a sign of depression. Here are some symptoms to help recognize depression in adolescence:
Persistent negative mood: Crying frequently because of a sense of despair is a very common sign of depression. However, for adolescents, they do not necessarily have to appear sad when depressed. Instead, they may become irritable, angry, and agitated. This is considered the most prominent symptom.
Lack of interest in activities: Besides school hours, you may notice that your child is less enthusiastic about their usual hobbies. For example, they may drop out of a sports team, give up hobbies or distance themselves from family and friends.
School problems: Depression can cause lack of energy and difficulty concentrating. This leads to poor academic performance, lower grades, or boredom with school assignments. This can happen even to students who used to do well.
Low self-esteem: Depression can activate and increase feelings of self-doubt, insecurity, shame, and failure in adolescents.
Smartphone addiction: Adolescents may go on social media to escape their problems. However, excessive use of smartphones increases isolation and makes depression worse.
Running away: Many adolescents are too frustrated and run away from home or talk about leaving. Such efforts are often cries for help that parents need to pay special attention to.
Substance abuse: Some adolescents may turn to alcohol or drugs to try to control their depression symptoms. However, substance abuse only makes everything worse.
Reckless behavior: Adolescents with depression may engage in dangerous or high-risk behaviors. For example, reckless driving, drinking to excess, or even seeking sexual relationships before maturing.
Violence: Depression in adolescence can increase the risk of violence.
This is more common in boys. They may become aggressive and violent in seemingly normal situations.
Depression in adolescence compared to depression in adults.
Sudden changes in eating and sleeping patterns: Adolescents with depression may spend more time in bed than usual. Meanwhile, some others may have insomnia. You can also easily notice sudden changes in their eating habits. They may eat more or less than usual.
Depression in adolescence can make children very sensitive to criticism.
Feeling irritable and angry: As mentioned, irritability instead of sadness is a common mood among adolescents with depression. They tend to be easily annoyed, resentful, and prone to frustration or outbursts.
Unexplained physical pain: Adolescents with depression often complain of headaches or stomachaches, but a physical examination reveals no medical cause. These aches may be a sign of depression.
Sensitive to criticism: Adolescents with depression often feel helpless, making them more likely to fail and receive criticism. Moreover, they may be heavily affected by this criticism.
Limited social interaction: Adults tend to isolate themselves when they have depression. Adolescents, however, usually maintain at least one friendship. Nevertheless, depressed adolescents may communicate less socially than before and distance themselves from their parents.
Causes of depression in adolescence:
No specific and clear cause of depression in adolescence has been identified. According to research, the development of this condition is related to many factors.
For adolescents, changes in hormones, personality traits, genetics, social media use… can all be factors that increase the risk of depression.
Common causes related to depression in adolescence include:
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Hormonal changes
Adolescents often experience many changes in hormone levels. Hormones produced by the reproductive organs and the brain, especially, can affect emotions, thoughts, and behavior. In addition, sudden changes in thyroid hormones and cortisol can also increase the risk of depression.
According to experts, estrogen, a female sex hormone, is directly related to depression. The concentration of this hormone in girls during adolescence often increases significantly, increasing the risk of depression. On the other hand, the concentration of testosterone in boys during adolescence is not related to this condition. This partly explains why the prevalence of depression is higher in adolescent girls than boys.
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Adolescent depression caused by bullying
Being bullied by friends can cause a lot of fear and stress in the lives of adolescents.
Regularly being bullied and mocked by friends can increase the risk of depression during adolescence.
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Lack of attention and support
Adolescents entering puberty often face many challenges and need support from their families. Furthermore, during this stage, adolescents are very sensitive and always need attention from their families, friends, and loved ones.
If they do not receive adequate attention and support, adolescents can easily become anxious and worried. If this state persists, the risk of developing depression increases.
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Depression and social media use
Some studies have shown a link between depression in adolescence and the use of social media. In modern life, young people have access to smart electronic devices and social media from a very young age.
Adolescents who spend more time on social media are more likely to experience depression than their peers. Some explanations for this link include:
Social interactions on social media may not provide emotional satisfaction. Furthermore, sometimes they can increase the fear of being abandoned. For example, a child may see pictures of peers enjoying time together and feel excluded. Adolescents on social media often spend more time comparing their appearance and life to their peers of the same age. Over time, this can lead to decreased self-esteem. Spending too much time on social media reduces the time for physical activity and skill development. Some studies have shown that a sedentary lifestyle has negative effects on mental health. Excessive use of social media can also disrupt a child’s sleep habits. Indirectly, this can affect their mood.
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Pressure from academic achievement
Adolescents in puberty often face a lot of pressure from academic achievement and testing. Sometimes parents set unrealistic goals, causing children to be obsessed with grades and always feel stressed.
Teenagers’ depression may be due to pressure from studying
The prolonged pressure and stress from studying can cause children to feel deeply sad and isolate themselves, and if left unresolved, can lead to depression.
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Other factors
In addition to the aforementioned causes, several other factors can increase the risk of depression in adolescence. These include:
Consequences of other mental and physical health conditions Past trauma from situations of violence or abuse Family issues Extreme and erroneous thinking Disorders in the brain’s internal chemicals Physical damage to the brain Low self-esteem, self-consciousness, social withdrawal, and lack of communication skills
Impact of adolescent depression
Depression in adolescence is becoming increasingly prevalent. Compared to depression during pregnancy or postpartum, this is also a concerning issue.
Experts say that depression in adolescence is a complex disorder. If parents do not detect and intervene in the treatment of children early on, there are many potential risks to be aware of.
Firstly, the illness can cause children to have slow thinking and reduced ability to absorb knowledge, leading to a significant decline in academic performance. Additionally, children can develop pessimistic, sad, and prolonged feelings of despair. With limited life skills and experience, children may engage in harmful behavior towards themselves and others.
In many cases, depression in adolescence can progress severely, especially in children who abuse alcohol or stimulants. They may often think about or attempt suicide. A worrying fact is that the number of successful suicide cases is increasing.
Puberty depression can lead children to attempt suicide
The most important thing is for parents to detect early when their child has suicidal thoughts or behaviors. At the same time, they need to take serious steps to prevent them when they notice anything unusual.
Warning signs of suicide include:
- Talking or joking about suicide
- Speaking positively about death or romanticizing it
- Writing stories about death or suicide
- Engaging in risky behaviors or causing multiple accidents leading to injury
- Giving away valuable possessions
- Saying goodbye to friends and family as if it were the last time
- Searching for weapons, drugs or other ways to commit suicide
These signs are a cry for help from your child. You need to provide timely support to pull them out of suicidal thoughts and behaviors. Your complacency and irresponsibility at this time may indirectly lead to tragic deaths for your child.
Treating depression during adolescence
Depression in adolescence can be very dangerous if not treated in time. Therefore, when a child shows suspicious symptoms of depression, parents need to closely monitor and take them to see a doctor early.
Studies show that adolescents with mild depression can be successfully controlled with support and symptom monitoring. For cases of moderate to severe depression, treatment options may include medication and psychotherapy.
Treatment for depression in adolescence may include:
Psychotherapy
Adolescents with depression are advised to see a psychotherapist early. Psychotherapy can be started before or at the same time as medication treatment.
Psychotherapy is the mainstay of treatment for pubertal depression
Depending on each specific case, the therapist will choose the appropriate psychological treatment method for each child. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Individual Therapy (IPT) are often recommended.
CBT aims to help the child replace negative thoughts and emotions with positive ones. IPT aims to improve personal relationships by improving communication skills and problem-solving skills.
Using medication
If the child lives in an unhappy family without love and care, the family also needs to participate in psychological treatment. This will help parents understand the child’s psychology, change misconceptions, and provide appropriate education and care.
Using medication may be necessary in many cases to help children better control depression during adolescence. However, the doctor needs to carefully consider the benefits and risks beforehand.
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are the most commonly prescribed antidepressants. They are preferred because they have fewer side effects than other types of drugs.
Most SSRIs are only approved for use in adults. However, fluoxetine (Prozac) has been approved by the FDA for use in children aged 8 and older with depression. In addition, escitalopram (Lexapro) has also been approved for use in children aged 12 and older.
Drug treatment for depression in adolescence needs to be monitored for potential side effects. Parents play an important role in supporting the child during the treatment process.
What role do parents play in treating teenage depression?
Adolescents are not mature enough to regulate their emotions and behaviors appropriately, especially when facing depression. Parents need to be present and always support the child throughout the treatment process.
Parents need to be constantly present and support their children throughout the process of treating adolescent depression.
Parents should pay attention to:
- Focus on listening: When your child is trying to share an issue, avoid criticizing and judging. Instead, always listen and let them know that no matter what happens, you will always be there for them unconditionally.
- Gently but persistently: If your child is reluctant to share, you should also allow them to feel comfortable. Always be gentle and persistent in the face of attitudes and behaviors that are somewhat out of line with your standards. However, do not forget to emphasize your concern and always be willing to listen when your child wants to share.
- Acknowledge your child’s emotions: Do not try to force your child to escape from depression immediately. Although sometimes their emotions or concerns may seem foolish and irrational, you should still acknowledge them. Acknowledging your child’s emotions will help them feel understood and supported by you.
- Spend time with your child: Sometimes you are too busy and even exhausted with your current life, but do not forget to spend time with your child. You need to talk to your child every day, during which time you should not be distracted by any work.
- Fight against social isolation: You should do what you can to keep your child connected with others. Encourage your child to hang out with friends or invite friends over to the house. Encourage your child to participate in activities with other families. This gives your child the opportunity to meet and connect with other children.
- Try to reduce your child’s social media time: Remind your child that using social media is not an ideal substitute for outside interactions. Encourage your child to turn off their smartphone and go to bed early.
- Encourage physical activity: Exercise is essential for mental health. Therefore, let your child engage in appropriate physical activity. You should encourage your child to be physically active for at least an hour every day.
- Promote volunteerism: Doing something helpful for others is a powerful dose of self-esteem and can greatly reduce depression. You can participate in volunteer activities with your child if you have time.
- Provide your child with a balanced and nutritious diet: You need to ensure that your child receives the necessary nutrition to support optimal brain health and mood. You should supplement fresh foods, healthy fats, and good protein. Do not let your child eat too much sugar and starch, and also limit processed foods.
- Remind your child to get enough sleep: Adolescents need around 8-10 hours of sleep per night. Lack of sleep can lead to many mental health problems. Therefore, remind your child to get enough sleep.
